EPCOR to sell grey water to upgraders?

We have heard city council members say they have misgivings about EPCOR selling waste (grey) water to the oil up graders who will use billions of gallons of water in the process.

Grey water can be returned back to the river with minimum treatment.

There are different kinds of water use.

If the water is used as a cooler or a heat medium any steam produced would at some point escape back into the atmosphere. Because of this it will remain part of the water resource and be returned to earth as rain, snow etc.

If on the other hand it is being pumped down hole or used to flood coal methane wells it is lost for ever. There is nothing coming back from this. I have enquiries out to the upgrader companies asking for specifics on their water use. No replies yet.

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca.